The Biosphere 2 project of the early 1990s failed dramatically because the planners overlooked the metabolic activities of naturally occurring soil microorganisms. The simulation program SimBio 2 allows us to gain insights into the complexity of this closed ecosystem. Here we can manipulate and monitor variables within a virtual Biosphere 2. We will explore oxygen availability by taking a closer look at the relationship between organic materials and living microbial populations in the soil. Alternative models can be constructed and simulated.

• run simulations of a model of the Biosphere 2 to explore the unexpected impact of microbial metabolism on closed system dynamics

Topic(s): Ecology

Resources:

Biosphere2.pdf
Getting Started with Extend.pdf
Install Info - SimBio2.pdf
SimBio2 Model files